Dance With Me
by Serene Cullen
Summary: All the tributes have to attend a masqueradee ball to help get sponsors for them.  Katniss ends up meeting a guy that makes her laugh the entire time they dance, after the signal is given to remove the mask Katniss looks around for her mystery man
1. Dance With Me

**AN: Ok so Hunger Games is my new obsession because my other favorite couple just got broken up on Victorious (Dan you suck) so now all I have to live for is Hunger Games and I could really use some happy new drama. Sorry for my ranting.**

**This takes place before the games.**

Dance With Me

Katniss was stubbornly decided that this mascaraed was a horrible idea. She wanted absolutely no part in it. Unfortunately thought it was mandatory for tributes. It helped you get sponsors or something so begrudgingly she let her prep team into her room when they knocked on her door. They dressed her up in beautiful clothes, her dress was gold with black glittery lace over it, ya she looked good, but it wasn't her style.

Katniss sat on her vanity seat and waited as Cinna did her hair and then tied her elegant mask on. She looked at him and he smiled "beautiful," he whispered.

"Thanks I need to be to get sponsors, I have nothing else going for me."

"That's not true," Cinna said stroking her cheek before helping her stand. "Let's get you down to the ballroom," he said escorting her down. He had to release her hand when they got to the double doors though so that she wouldn't be recognized from him.

Katniss inhaled deeply as the spotlight shone on her illuminating her gorgeous form. People were in awe by her and there was quickly a man by her side offering to sponsor her. The effect was immediate between Cinna's wonderful job and her anonymity with the mask. Sponsor after sponsor asked to dance with her, she was a shining ray at the party.

It wasn't until perhaps the fifteenth song that finally Katniss had a moment to sit down. It was a pleasant surprise and she was somewhat infuriated when someone sat beside her, more chitchat as some would say.

"Hi," the rough male voice said as he took a sip from the nice goblet given to party members.

"Hi," she returned. She sighed knowing that she needed to say something else too. "Are you enjoying the party?" she asked fishing out another smile, they were getting harder and harder to find.

"No," he replied.

"Really?" suddenly the dance became a little better.

"Yes it sucks," he said downing the liquid in the goblet.

"I totally agree," she said smiling brightly at him.

"Nice to find someone," he smiled back at her "would you like to dance?" he asked holding his hand out.

She thought about it for a moment and then nodded taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor. They danced to the annoyingly slow music and his hand rested on the small of her back pulling her close to him. "You look great," he whispered in her ear. She shivered as he licked the outside of her ear. His hand pulled her closer against him "this music is so boring," he whispered.

"I agree," she whispered back.

"Then here we go," he grabbed her hips and started dancing like the music was fast paced. Katniss laughed happily as he spun her around and around and pulled her hips close to his. Some people were staring at them but Katniss was having fun dancing with the mystery man.

She was laughing and almost doubled over as he continued to make fun of some of the people in attendance. He was holding her steady as she tried to regain her sanity. She was finally able to stop laughing and she looked up at him. Their eyes met and a spark lit and suddenly they were both leaning forward. The kiss was heated and passionate and both fought for control. When they broke apart Katniss was panting. She locked eyes with her mystery man again and was disappointed when someone tapped her shoulder and asked for a dance.

##

Midnight finally came and as the gong sounded for masks to be removed so that sponsors could see whom they had chosen Katniss looked around furiously. She was trying to spot the mystery man's mask. She finally found it and they locked eyes as they both reached up and untied their respective masks. Her mouth dropped, Mass Murderer from 2 was her mystery man, her best kiss ever, her knight in shining armor! Cato from District 2 was the one who had stolen her heart.


	2. Protecting Her

**AN: All the awesome reviews finally wore me down so here it is…another chapter…I think there's even another one sprouting in my head but we'll see.**

Protecting Her

"Leave me alone," Katniss screamed as she ran from the room. Cato was still hot on her heels though. The two had definitely made a scene in their exit and it was safe to say neither had thought about how sponsors may have reacted to it.

"Katniss," he called again beginning to gain on her.

"Stop!" she yelled as she lunged for the elevator and pressed '12' with such force her finger bent slightly. Thanks to the Capitol technology the elevator closed and whisked her up before Cato could make it to her. She sighed heavily and collapsed on the floor of the elevator, crying into her black gloves that Cinna had matched perfectly to her golden dress which was draped in glittering black lace. Somehow it made it worse, the games that is. Sure before it was miserable but now it was hardly bearable, Katniss could hardly stand to not rip the skin off of her own flesh because God damnit nothing could _ever_ go her way could it. It wasn't bad enough that these games were going to take her life from her, more than likely, but now they had to take her new love's life as well? Wait love? That's so stupid! That's so romance story, so fictional, so…true. How did one kiss equal love? How did one conversation equal deep understanding? How did one slow dance equal a life of commitment? Yet here she was crying on the floor of a high tec elevator contemplating whether or not she would be able to kill him.

"Why are you on the floor?" Cinna asked Katniss looked up and was greeted by her prep team, Effie, and Haymitch.

"And where's Peeta?" Effie's high-pitched voice weighed in.

"I don't care," Katniss said standing quickly and smothering the delicate fabric back into place.

"Katniss!" a disheveled voice called from…damnit the stair loft.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to see you so stop following me!" Katniss went to run from her group but Haymitch grabbed her arm.

"You giving her a hard time kid?" he asked with a growl to his voice. ' Oh Haymitch thanks for the effort but let me go' she thought.

"I just want to talk to her," Cato mumbled even being polite as to not get himself thrown out.

"She says she doesn't want to talk," Haymitch said using his 'I'm superior to you' voice.

"Well she kissed me so I think it's owed to me," Cato smirked with satisfaction at the surprised faces that greeted him.

"You what!" Effie shrieked so loud the people on the streets probably heard her.

"I didn't kiss you," she said with a bite to her tone. Then she looked down and amended "we just kissed in general."

He was smirking at her again. "I think I'd like to speak to you alone now."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea for your health considering I'd like to shoot that smirk right off of your face," she shot a glare at him.

"Tributes aren't allowed to fight until we are inside the arena," he recited the warning they had all be given.

"I'm probably going to die in there anyways I might as well brake the rules," she said lunging for him, Haymitch still had her arm however and held her in the center of the little group.

"Katniss?" Peeta's voice broke into the confusion as his elevator arrived on scene.

"I think it's time you take her to her room," Haymitch handed her arm over to Cinna.

"I'm not a puppy that you can all just hand off," she quipped at Haymitch though she did follow Cinna as he led her away.

"Katniss," Cato called after her. She hesitated but looked back at him. "In the arena, find me, I'll keep you safe, I promise," he whispered the last part.

Katniss didn't know how to take his message; it didn't make sense why on earth would he keep her safe? She looked to Haymitch hoping for some silent advice but all he did was shrug. Finally she returned her gaze to Cato, she looked deep into his eyes before responding "I don't believe you," she said after much anticipation from the rest of the group.

He smiled, wide and toothy "then I guess I'll just have to prove it to you babe."

"Don't call me that," she gave him an annoyed face.

"You kissed me so I get to call you babe now babe."

"We've been over this I didn't kiss you we just happened to kiss," she shrugged.

"Ya well us happening to kiss means I get to call you babe now," he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes.

"You cannot call me that," she crossed her arms. "And you definitely cannot ever kiss me again."

"Oh I can't can I?" he stepped closer to her.

"No you cannot," her face lit up like a bonfire.

"Well let's test your resolve then shall we?" he stepped up to me and stared down at me with his beautiful blue eyes. He brushed her hair behind her ear and leaned towards her. Katniss's breath caught as she stared up at him and her eyes lulled closed as she puckered her lips to him. "Told you so," he whispered before capturing her lips with his.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she melted into him. His arms captured and supported her body as her knees gave out. "See you in the arena," he whispered in her lips before setting her straight and walking off.


	3. Surprises

Surprises

The platforms rose, the cornucopia came into sight. Katniss's heart was pounding as she stole glimpses of the goodies inside the metal structure. Her heart jumped into her throat as she laid eyes on a bow and arrow _her_ bow and arrow. But behind her was her sanctuary, a woods in which she could be safe. But she needs supplies, she needed something. So when the counter reached 0 she sprinted forward just like everyone else. She reached for an orange bag and turned and ran.

A boy with a huge ax grabbed her leg though and she was pulled to the ground. She looked up in horror before a knife took him down, the female from District 2 Clove. Clove then went to throw a knife at her and Katniss's eyes went wide. The next thing she saw though was the shock of the girl as something came in contact with her back. Katniss watched as she fell and Cato pulled a sword from inside of her.

"Y-you just killed her," Katniss whispered.

"I know," he stepped over her body and pulled Katniss from the ground to stand beside him. "Let's get you your bow," he said grabbing her arm and rushing towards the spot where it was perched. Most of the tributes who weren't dead at the cornucopia were gone but Katniss was able to take a few of the stragglers out.

#

"There's only three of us left," Katniss whispered to Cato.

"I'm aware of that," Cato said looking down at her.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"You're a pretty girl, fun and sweet but I need to go home. I'm sorry," he kissed the top of her head.

"When will you kill me?" she asked.

"Not until it's just you and me baby," he smirked.

"Thresh will be hard to take down though," she said cuddling into his chest where she had spent the rest of her nights.

"I think we can handle him together," Cato smiled at her.

"I wish we could just go back to that dance, stay there forever," she whispered. "These games are a blessing and a curse, without them I never would have met you. But now they're going to take you away. I'll never get to dance with you, or kiss you. Never have any sort of life."

He looked down at her and stood up after a minute. "What are you doing?" Katniss asked as she allowed him to pull them both up.

"You said you wanted to kiss me, to dance with me," he said. He dipped his head and kissed her lips. "So here we go," he said.

They danced and the game makers even put some music throughout the arena. "Katniss," he whispered into her ear.

"Ya?" she said her eyes lulled closed and her head resting on his shoulder.

"I think I love you," he said and her head shot up.

"I think I love you too, I don't usually do emotions but with you," she smiled. "With you it's like I've been free falling and I suddenly hit the ground."

"One more thing," he said using one of his hands to rub her back.

"Yes?" she whispered letting her head rest on his shoulder again.

"I'm so, so sorry," he said just as she felt cold steel touch her back.

#

**AN: Well that's it. Yup Cato killed her…I tried to make it a happy ending but you all kept saying to keep going and this is the only way I saw it ending. **


	4. Cato's Regret

Cato's Regret

Thresh was easy to kill, well not easy but nothing compared to having to kill Katniss. Her eyes had jolted open and her hand gripped tightly to my jacket. She looked up at me, her mouth just slightly open. Her eyes teared up as she looked at me. She raised her hand shakily and unattached her pin shoving it into my own hand that wasn't clutching her body to mine. 'Prim' she mouthed then she closed her eyes, rested her head on my shoulder and passed in silence.

My sword was covered in her blood, my hands were covered in her blood, I was covered in her blood. It didn't wash off either, not in the lake, or the shower in the hovercraft or the shower in the Capital.

Caesar Flickerman's interview just seemed taunting, he had the gall to ask if my love for her, my _love_, was a game play.

The victory tour, that was worse. The twelve year old girl looking up at me, her big blue eyes overflowing with tears as she wondered how she would survive now. Stepping from the stage and placing the pin in her hand as her mother glared at me.

But this is what happened, it's how life worked, we couldn't both live, we just couldn't. God knows that I wanted to spend my life with her, forever waking up to her.

It was hardest right now, right now as I laid awake in my huge bed in a house in Victor's Village. Staring out my window at the dark night sky. The bed was too big, the bed was too empty. There was just enough space for Katniss to fit snuggled beneath my arms.

I took a deep breath and in the moments that were scariest for me I closed my eyes and imagined her. I was always good at visualizing, you had to be in order to kill, you just stared at a person and imagined they were a dummy. So now I stroked the hair of a girl that I had killed and tucked her close beneath my arm. I inhaled and imagined a certain dirty smell, it was the smell of Seam on her. There were showers at the Capitol but she didn't use them that much. I held her close replaying that moment over and over again. I stabbed her, I killed her, my own hands killed my happiness. Because that was the truth of it. I didn't kill a competitor, I didn't kill Katniss Everdeen, not just her anyways, I killed my happiness. I killed half of myself.

#

**AN: Ok this is really the last chapter (unless God strikes me with divine inspiration(or more realistically a reviewer )). I did write this though so I hope you like it, it shows Cato's regret so I hope you like it!**


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